ChatGPT in Occupational Medicine: A Comparative Study with Human Experts.

The objective of this study is to evaluate ChatGPT's accuracy and reliability in answering complex medical questions related to occupational health and explore the implications and limitations of AI in occupational health medicine. The study also provides recommendations for future research in this area and informs decision-makers about AI's impact on healthcare. A group of physicians was enlisted to create a dataset of questions and answers on Italian occupational medicine legislation. The physicians were divided into two teams, and each team member was assigned a different subject area. ChatGPT was used to generate answers for each question, with/without legislative context. The two teams then evaluated human and AI-generated answers blind, with each group reviewing the other group's work. Occupational physicians outperformed ChatGPT in generating accurate questions on a 5-point Likert score, while the answers provided by ChatGPT with access to legislative texts were comparable to those of professional doctors. Still, we found that users tend to prefer answers generated by humans, indicating that while ChatGPT is useful, users still value the opinions of occupational medicine professionals.

Heart rate variability, serum cortisol levels and temperament in a sample of workers exposed to occupational stress: a preliminary report.

Work-related stress is an emerging risk for psychiatric occupational disorders including Adjustment Disorders (AD). The aim of this study was to investigate in workers exposed to occupational stress suffering from AD about putative indices of stress and mental health resilience such as serum cortisol (seC) levels, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and affective temperaments. We consecutively recruited 15 male and 15 female AD patients between workers evaluated for occupational stress at an Italian Occupational Medicine Unit. SeC levels were measured by specific immunoassay. HRV indices were recorded using Task Force® Monitor system (CNSystems, Graz, Austria). Specific questionnaires were used to measure perceived and occupational stress, psychopathological symptoms and temperament. Women presented higher levels of occupational stress, higher High-Frequency HRV (HF-HRV) and lower Low-Frequency HRV (LF-HRV) than men. SeC levels were positively correlated with LF-HRV values and negatively with HF-HRV values. The LF/HF ratio resulted to be inversely correlated with the score of Harm Avoidance temperament dimension and directly with the score of Reward Dependence temperament dimension. In conclusion, in AD patients exposed to occupational stress high seC levels and reward dependence appear to be associated with a pattern of HRV reflecting less mental health resilience.

A Medical Resident with a History of Alcohol Abuse and Suicidal Ideation: A Challenge for Both Psychiatry and Occupational Medicine in the Context of the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This case study draws attention to the hazards of physicians with a history of alcohol addiction and a particular psychopathology framework in the context of occupational health surveillance, particularly during the challenging working conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The case involves a hospital resident in her thirties, with a previous history of addiction and attempts at suicide, who was assigned to a COVID-19 unit of an Italian hospital. In this case study, we discuss the preventive intervention put in place in order to protect physicians' health and work. What emerges is the key role that rapid substantive communications between specialists play in formulating an effective strategy for dealing with these conditions. We believe this case is noteworthy for the lessons that can be learned for tailoring prevention and treatment pathways for health care workers with addiction.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome prevalence and work ability in a sample of healthcare workers exposed to occupational stress.

OBJECTIVE: Occupational stress represents a significant precipitating factor in different diseases but its role in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) needs to be clarified. The present cross-sectional study aimed at investigating the prevalence of IBS diagnosis in a sample of health workers and exploring the potential relationships between IBS, work-related stress levels and work ability. METHODS: 653 health workers undergoing periodical occupational health surveillance at the Occupational and Preventive Medicine Unit of a major University Hospital in central Italy, were consecutively recruited and screened for IBS diagnosis, according to ROMA IV criteria. The rating scales IBS Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS), Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) and Work Ability Index (WAI) were used to assess respectively IBS severity, occupational stress and work ability levels. RESULTS: IBS prevalence in the sample was 16.8%. Participants suffering from IBS were characterized by a higher prevalence of psychiatric diagnosis and sleep disturbances, higher levels of job strain and isostrain as well as by lower levels of work ability compared to non affected subjects. Moreover, the severity of IBS correlated positively with occupational stress and both were negatively associated with work ability. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest the need for preventive, organizational and management strategies at workplace aimed at protecting the health and well-being but also productivity of the worker with IBS.

Mental health of Health Care Workers (HCWs): a review of organizational interventions put in place by local institutions to cope with new psychosocial challenges resulting from COVID-19.

The COVID-19 outbreak has been associated with significant occupational stressors and challenges for healthcare workers (HCWs) including the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Many reports from all over the world have already found that HCWs have significant levels of self-reported anxiety, depression and even symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, supporting mental health of HCWs is a crucial part of the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the present review is to ascertain the interventions put in place worldwide in reducing stress in HCWs during the COVID-19 outbreak. We evidenced how only few countries have published specific psychological support intervention protocols for HCWs. All programs were developed in university associated hospitals and highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration. All of them had as their purpose to manage the psychosocial challenges to HCW's during the pandemic in order to prevent mental health problems.Whether one program offers distinct benefit compared to the others cannot be known given the heterogeneity of the protocols and the lack of a rigorous protocol and clinical outcomes. Further research is crucial to find out the best ways to support the resilience and mental well-being of HCWs.

Sudden and persistent dysphonia within the framework of COVID-19: The case report of a nurse.

In December 2019, clusters of atypical pneumonia with unknown etiology emerged in the city of Wuhan in China. In early January 2020, the Center for Disease Control in China announced that it was identified a new coronavirus, first tentatively named 2019-nCoV and officially named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. On February 11, 2020 the WHO identified the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 as COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease-19 based on the year of appearance). Although only a few months have passed since the beginning of this pandemic, numerous studies, case reports, reviews by leading international scientific and medical journals have been published. However, given the unpredictability of virus behaviour and the still limited knowledge about it, many aspects of the infection are still little known. A recent epidemiological study has shown the presence of dysphonia in some patients with COVID-19, with a minority reporting aphonia during the clinical course of the disease. This case study draws attention on a 50-year-old female nurse presented with a history of fatigue resulting from minor exertion and persistent dysphonia at the Occupational Health Department of a major University Hospital in central Italy. The patient had a history of COVID-19 infection, which lasted about two months with pulmonary and extrapulmonary symptoms. After two RT-PCR negativities for SARS-CoV-2, dysphonia and fatigue due to minor exertionpersisted. The patient, following the persistence of the symptomatology, was subject to numerous specialist examinations, which showed no organic alterations. Based on her clinical and instrumental history, we hypothesized a psychogenetic dysphonia related to COVID-19. This case report highlights the importance of personalized medicine with long-term follow-up and rubustpsychological support in patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and in particular in the categories at greatest risk of both contagion and adverse physical and mental outcomes like health care workers.